A Blessing and a Responsibility

Serving as a Sponsor or Godparent

The criteria that determine eligibility for serving as a sponsor or godparent in Baptism or Confirmation are established by the Code of Canon Law, not the local parish or diocese. They are as follows:

SPONSORS/GODPARENTS FOR BAPTISM 

• A person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.
• There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
• To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must (can. 874):
  • 1/ be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;
  • 2/ have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
  • 3/ be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
  • 4/ not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
  • 5/ not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.

SPONSORS FOR CONFIRMATION

• There is to be a sponsor for the person to be confirmed; the sponsor is to take care that the confirmed person behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in this sacrament.
• To perform the function of sponsor, a person must fulfill the conditions mentioned in can. 874 above.
• It is desirable to choose as sponsor the one who undertook the same function in baptism.

SPONSORSHIP FORMS
Sponsor eligibility certificates for a baptismal godparent or a confirmation sponsor will be issued only to parishioners registered for at least 6 months AND parishioners who attend Sunday Mass weekly. Parishioners are highly encouraged to use their envelopes to verify attendance.

Please contact the Parish office for more information 856-667-8850, etx. 100